These humans (and rats) are our friends!

ratties

Subject:	Sudden hydrophobia?
Posted by:	zippytheavenger.
Time:	10:43 pm.
Mood:	freaked out.

Today something kind of alarming happened. I was giving the guys their baths, and they freaked the hell out on me. I bathed d'Artagnan first because he doesn't like bath time at all and always tries to claw his way up my arms, but this time he screamed. Long, drawn-out squeaks from the moment I put him in the water untill I started toweling him off. I was a little unsettled but didn't think too much of it until I bathed Fezzik and he reacted the exact same way, which really shocked me because he's always so mellow in the water.

I have no idea what might have caused this. The water was at neutral temperature, I used the same kind of shampoo I always do, absolutely nothing was different from past baths except for the screaming rats.

Any ideas?

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ratties

Subject:	Missing ratties...
Posted by:	beckatsila.
Time:	11:01 pm.

It's amazing what you wish for when you live alone and something goes wrong...

Although currently petless, I've previously had the priviledge of being owned by rats. One of my first rats was Osiris, a hooded male I rescued in college. He was easily one of my most affectionate, and he often used me as a pillow. He died several years ago, after living with me for about two and a half years.

Fast forward to now--I'm recovering from a bus accident. I'm home recuperating, and the other night I kept thinking "I wish Osiris were here so he could curl up and sleep on my chest..."

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ratties

Subject:	He is trying to make me jealous.
Posted by:	itsastupidsong.
Time:	11:48 am.

I posted a week or so ago about getting a new boy. Well, we got him. I named him Doogan like I had been thinking. We waited several days before naming him and luckily it fit very well. He's a monster compared to my girls. He's also completely in love with my boyfriend. *siigh* He's super squishy, and he sleeps in my BF's hoodie. It's freakishly cute. Unfortunately, when I pick him up and put him on my lap... he runs back the BF's lap. He also won't take treats from me, but eagerly munches away when he gets them from my boyfriend. I'm hoping that changes as we have him longer and I get to introduce him to my girls. It's really funny though, he pees on my boyfriend CONSTANTLY and it drives him nuts. I would think that he was more used to men... but the truth is the foster home was a woman's house. Is there a quick way to bribe him to love me or am I gonna have to do this the hard way? Haha Anywho, he's a pictures of my new man.

He's used my boyfriend's hair as a pillow. How cute is that?

Edit: I must have found his sweet spot because the BF and I were playing with him on the bed and giving him scratches when he started licking our hands. Love!

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ratties

Subject:	Worried
Posted by:	turtlebaby_02.
Time:	9:37 pm.

So one of my boys is making this... noise. I'm not entirely sure how to be more specific. It's not a grunt, it's not a click, it's not even really a wheeze. It's like a low pitched noise. Ugh. I wish I could better explain it. It almost sounds like he's sniffing really REALLY loud and hard.

He was fine this morning and when I got home from work I took them out if the cage to play. As soon as he started vetting excited it started. I tried to take him into a steamy bathroom but he freaked out on me and nipped at me. And it only made it worse. So I put him back in his cage and talked to him and gave him a bit of dark chocolate. Which he stashed and came back for more. He is running around fine and grooming and drinking. And as soon as he laid down and calmed down he was fine. We're using a new brand of bedding for the first time, it's Aspen but bigger pieces than I'm used to. And kinda dusty.

I put the humidifier in the room with him and he's quiet now, but he's also not excited or running around.

He has a little red discharge, according to my roomate who arrived home shortly before me, but it was all cleaned up before I got to him.

I'm just worried. Horror stories and all. I'm going to see if I can get him into the vet asap tomorrow.

But I was wondering what else I could do for him in the meantime. He doesn't appear to be struggling for air and he's not blue or purple, but he does seem to be breathing rather hard. I'm trying very hard not to panic and am doing a piss poor job. :( Overnight meltdown here we come.

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ratties

Subject:	Oreo
Posted by:	oregonsongbird.
Time:	11:55 am.

Although not unexpected I had my little cry on the way home in the car; emotionally sad still but have come to a logical compassionate conclusion. It looks like http://ratguide.com/health/neoplasia/squamous_cell_carcinoma.php is the most likely scenario. The anitbiotic Baytril for life due to the respiratory issue, Revolution for life for the mite issue, eye drops for the eye on the side of the tumor for life, and Metacam relief of inflammation and pain for life. A/D soft food for loss of appetite and thirst increase. I'm going to discuss with my daughter the plan to spoil him rotten this Christmas break and then euthanize him before he deteriorates to the point of suffering. He's already suffering but once the medicine takes effect it should ease and I want to make sure it doesn't return. Dr B had given him about a month once a tumor was the likely diagnosis and that looks about right. Enjoy the rest of 2009 buddy boy.

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ratties

Subject:	New additions
Posted by:	nevadamoon.
Time:	1:53 pm.

I haven't had any new additions since summer. I was taking a step back both to spend extra time with my older rats, but also to re-evaluate a lot of things personally. (Especially with getting a new job, and trying to work out when/how I'm going to do school, etc.)

Anyway, these 4 boys joined my family on Tuesday night.

( A few pictures. )

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ratties

Subject:	Intact males with spayed females?
Posted by:	sachicoon.
Time:	1:13 pm.
Mood:	curious.

It's been roughly 5 months since I've gotten Sobolan. Originally, Sobolan was suppose to be a cagemate to my other rat, Remington, but he unexpectedly died while Sobolan was still in quarantine. Sobolan has since been an only rat, feverishly spoiled and loved by me, but I've never lost sight on the fact that while him and I are exceptionally close, he really needs companionship. I think what's really kept me at bat with this whole thing is that the last time I tried to introduce two male rats together, it ended in horror. I did EVERYTHING I was suppose on the intro. Once initial quarantine was over, I kept them both in seperate ages for about a month and then introduced them on neutral ground in the bathtub. Within minutes, one of my rats had his side torn WIDE OPEN (you could see bone). He was rushed to the vet and and because this was 11PM on a saturday, I ended up with a nice fat $500 bill. In addition, while my rats life was saved, he never fully healed. Some muscle tissue was damaged and he ended up walking with a slight gimp for the rest of his life. I don't EVER EVER want to face something like that again.

So this is why I've been hesitating. I was veeeery very reluctant about introducing Sobolan to Remington, but since they were the same age, and both very young, I figured I might have better luck. Never had an issue with females, only males with other male rats. So my question is, what if I were to get a spayed female? Reason I've asked this is because I've heard stories that it's not uncommon for male rats to die under the gas while being neutered (was told this by a women who owns a rat rescue), while females have a better chance at this and it reduces major health draw backs such as mammary tumors. Has anyone ever dealt with intact males with spayed females? What kind of behavior issues, if any have you seen?

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ratties

Subject:	Huron Valley Rat Rescue Winter 2009 Raffle!
Posted by:	darksong17.
Time:	8:32 am.
Mood:	cheerful.

X-posted a bunch!

Note: I am posting this for

blackthorn45. I am not the one running the raffle so please contact her with any questions or information :).

Lots of awesome prizes this year!

For more information, purchasing tickets, and to keep updated on the prize list, visit the raffle page.

Comments: Add Your Own.

rattielovers

Subject:	Huron Valley Rat Rescue Winter 2009 Raffle!
Posted by:	darksong17.
Time:	8:31 am.
Mood:	cheerful.

X-posted a bunch!

Note: I am posting this for

blackthorn45. I am not the one running the raffle so please contact her with any questions or information :).

Lots of awesome prizes this year!

For more information, purchasing tickets, and to keep updated on the prize list, visit the raffle page.

Comments: Add Your Own.

ratties

Subject:	Breeder in California?
Posted by:	mistresswolf.
Time:	5:37 pm.
Mood:	hopeful.

I belong to another rat group on Gaia Online. There is a girl there looking to get some rats soon and says she can't find a breeder. Her other option is a pet store, and she doesn't want to go there and I don't want her to either.

She lives somewhere in California called Brentwood. I know you guys are awesome for finding breeders. Do any of you know any that are close to her or that could transport to her? She doesn't drive and wouldn't be able to go far.

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ratties

Subject:	bumblefoot
Posted by:	bravest_unsaid.
Time:	1:59 pm.
Mood:	anxious.

My Toni (on the right in the icon) seems to have developed bumblefoot (both feet, poor thing). It does not appear too bad yet, but I would like to cut it off ASAP. I have an appointment for her on Saturday morning, but I'm looking for some advice in the meantime.

1. Cage: As of last night, the cage is clean, but I know I should also disinfect it, preferably every day. I've read in many places that vinegar is optimal. For people who have used it: Did you make a dilute with it in the tub? Or spray it (100%? dilute?) on and then rinse/wipe it off? What's the best way? Or is some other disinfecting agent even better?

2. Feets washing: I've heard I should soak her feet in warm anti-bac soap water (2x a day, right?). How long is one meant to hold each affected foot in the water?

3. Feets disinfecting: I figure I'll order Blu-kote, just to have it (like I wish I did now!), but I suspect it will not arrive before I got to the vet who I'm sure will give me something topical.

Available on hand, I have tea tree oil which I have read can be helpful but also tricky. I understand it needs to be very diluted and that it shouldn't be ingested. Would anyone know HOW diluted? And also--should it be rinsed off so she doesn't ingest any? And if so, is it even worth it? Any OTC alternatives to use until Saturday?

Thanks for your wisdom!

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ratties

Subject:	Entertainment Ideas
Posted by:	pinkduck08.
Time:	10:50 am.

I need ideas for entertaining my boys better. I have plenty of nests and tubes in their cage, things to chew, things to climb up to, and even a wheel. The last couple of weeks with finals I haven't been able to take them out as much and I feel like a neglectful mom, so I'd like to spruce up their cage with fun things.

I do have a few restrictions. I need a lower price. I do work at Petsmart, but they're quick to destroy, so I'd rather not spend $10 for it to be gone in a day. I have one rat that will chew anything that isn't supposed to be chewed. I provide lava chews, and he used to go through them in days, but this last one he hasn't touched in 2 months. So, nothing fabric unfortunately.

Thanks! :)

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ratties

Subject:	Dr Bronner's Liquid Soap
Posted by:	blasphemusfish.
Time:	3:05 pm.

Has anyone ever used Dr Bronner's soap for bathing their ratties? I was spying the baby mild unscented one and it looks pretty good to me o:

http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/LS.htm
http://www.drbronner.com/soapmaking_overview.html

That's the ingredients list and the soap making process, if anyone wants to have a look for anything that would be bad for rats I'd appreciate it as I'm really not sure.

I also wondered if the tee tree oil one would be good, being an antiseptic. I'd dilute by quite a lot if I was to try it out anyway, still worried that the tee tree might be too abrasive or strong for their noses though. But it's also something I'd totally use for myself xD

Cheers guys c:

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ratties

Subject:	CAGES CAGES CAGES!
Posted by:	ststepdown.
Time:	4:31 am.

SO!
Beloved babylove boyfriend, has agreed to get the Ave and her new cagemate (in 3 weeks after QT!) A NEW CAGE!
With his first paycheck from his new job :) (Only if I "shut up about it" has been added to the deal apparently")

I want a Martin!
( Read more... )
*Update* Successfully rehomed 3 females, bro hasn't taken the males, he says he will take them in about a month or so if they do not find permanent homes before then. I have a prospective home for 2 males, and another for 2 males and a female, all with rat experience. That will leave one boy, and one girl left! I can keep the other girlie in the big cage as I have room, with Avery and Olivia (the PEW I am keeping) while the boy will go to brother (Assuming I do not find homes) but this is turning out way better than I expected!

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ratties

Subject:	Rex skin question
Posted by:	itsastupidsong.
Time:	11:43 pm.

I haven't seen anything about this in search through the internet or the info in this community so I thought I'd ask about it. Does anyone know if a rex's skin is more fragile then a standard's? My Burgundy is a rex and in what looked like a very low impact scuffle, she came up with a wound in her armpit-chest area. I didn't see her attacked with teeth, but did see a little rattie hand right where the wound ended up being. It also appeared to get bigger as she moved around. I'm wondering if since her hair and skin are so soft, if they damage more easily. She has gotten medical attention, but it left me wondering. Any ideas?

Comments: Add Your Own.

ratties

Posted by:	deathrays.
Time:	1:09 pm.

Hi everyone, I'm new to this community and I need some help!

I rescued a female rat from a girl who had like 20 rats and needed to get rid of some (for obvious reasons). The rat I got was approximately 3 months old when I got her, which was november 22nd. When I went to the girls house to get her, she said the males and females were always kept separate. Well, apparently NOT. A few days ago I noticed my girl was getting fat, and I was like "no, there's no way she is pregnant, its been so long since she was even around other rats (besides my other rats which are in a separate cage from her anyway and are all girls). Anyway, this morning I woke up to 6 babies. AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO. All of my rats have been rescues that I got when they were at least 2 months old. Can you guys give me some new mom tips? Momma rat seems to be feeding them and licking them and stuff, so I am assuming she has got it under control, but I know there's gotta be something I should be doing.

Oh also, are the babies gonna be ok since there's a possibility that their dad-rat was one of their mom's brothers? I asked the girl I got her from and she said she had no idea how it happened, and that one of the boy rats must have gotten into the room that the girls are kept in. And she said it could very well have been one of the boys from the same litter that the mom is from. Does that mean they will be deformed? Or have health problems?

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ratties

Subject:	litter box hoarding?
Posted by:	em0geek.
Time:	12:49 am.

So my baby is doing so well with her new huge litter box and fleece lined floors.... but i come home tonight and she's taken to bringing one of her new pieces of scrap (a glove at one point) into her box. As i was cleaning it out i noticed half of one of her chews in there too. And as i type, she's sitting in her poop box, eating a piece of her lab block.
How can i discourage this? She was being so great about using it just to do her business!

Comments: Read 12 or Add Your Own.

ratties

Subject:	halps!
Posted by:	littlebabypines.
Time:	6:07 pm.

ok so here's the deal. one of my two rats died in june, and then i only had one rat (pipkin). after she was alone for a few months i thought she was getting depressed so i got her a new friend (backpack). i kept them seperated for like 2 weeks. i tried putting them together after the 2 weeks but pipkin kept trying to fight backpack and since backpack is a lot smaller, i separated them again. but then my boyfriend broke up with me and he took the other cage so i had no choice but to put the two rats together. they have a pretty big cage, i have had up to 4 rats living in that cage together with no problems. but now they have been fighting constantly, and pipkin has bitten backpack multiple times. i have wounds on her back and one under her eye. i keep them out of the cage as much as possible but when i am not home they have to stay in there together. this morning i picked up backpack and noticed that there is a pretty big chunk of her ear missing. and its bleeding. like at the base of her ear by her head. i don't know what to do, it's been like 2 weeks of them being in the same cage and i'm worried that pipkin is going to hurt backpack worse. i have gone through this before with the older rats picking on the younger ones (actually when i got pipkin she was a little baby and the bigger rats beat her up, but they never drew blood, just pushed her around mostly). should i be worried? is there anything i can do to make pipkin stop being mean? and what do i do about her ear? i am not sure what the best way to clean and protect the wound is, because i dont want to put anything on there that pipkin will lick off, especially if it would be harmful if ingested. advice please??

and a picture just for fun!

backpack is on the left, pipkin is on the right, and i am in the middle.

ETA: both rats are female. so i am assuming neutering wouldn't help?

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ratties

Subject:	Rat pee issues :(
Posted by:	deppe88.
Time:	1:22 pm.

Today I noticed some liquid seeping though the bottom of one of the rat hammocks. A shooed out the girls and found that it in fact was pee and there were also a few poops too. I took out this bed too wash and both rats have been using the litter box since then and both rats were are very active and playful this morning, so Im not worried that one might have a UTI or anything like that. I really think my rats would rather just pee in bed then move the foot or so to the litter box! So, I guess I'll try moving this bed really close to the litter box?

Has anyone else had an issue like this? My rats are 90% litter box trained (one of them doesnt get it as well as the other...). Rodents aren't supposed to eat or sleep where they go to the bathroom, but clearly my rats arent bothered... any advice?

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ratties

Subject:	Advice needed
Posted by:	_meganekko_.
Time:	8:58 pm.

Yosuke is just coming up to three months old and has persistent porphyrin staining around one eye and very occasionally has a clicking sound in his chest. Other than that he seems perfectly fine - leaping about, eating, drinking, playing, etc. Would you take him to the vet now or wait to see if things progress into a full-blown illness? I don't know whether it's better to treat it before it gets bad, or wait until there's something more to treat.

( Recent pic of cosy rats! )

Comments: Read 5 or Add Your Own.

ratties

Subject:	Humper?!
Posted by:	zy6omat1c.
Time:	9:24 pm.
Mood:	inquisitive.

My hairless rat, Peaches Fetus Thoreau (or just Fetus) is a serial humper. Out of nowhere, she'll run after the nearest rat, mount, and hump them! I've checked and rechecked her anatomy countless times (out of sheer paranoia) and she is, without a doubt, female. Is this some sort of dominant behavior? I know it's super common in the canine world, but I've never heard of a dominance-humping rat!

PS. She's at the bottom of the pecking order. Youngest, smallest, and most nakedest. Is she trying to move up in the ranks?

PPS. Sorry my photos aren't great; it's hard to capture a moving target. But here's one anyway for a glimpse of the perpetrator. I love Fetus, she's such a little turd :)

<input ... ></input><input ... >

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ratties

Subject:	A pretty urgent question.
Posted by:	halo_black.
Time:	11:32 pm.
Mood:	worried.

Okay, theres something wrong with my wee ratty fella Squeak. We've taken him to the vets, who checked him for blindness and (according to my mum) pressed on his little eyeballs (wtf?!) to make sure there was not pressure behind them. He's been given antibiotics and anti-inflamentrys. But I'm still worryed.
His eyes were quite bulgy, but the anti inflamentrys seem to have taken that down a big, he did have the red dischage (can't remember the propper name) around his nose and one eye but not that much, he'll go through stages of feeling around with his nose and paws as if he can't see and is washing frequently when eatting, almost as if distressed. He's eatting and drinking. I give him a treat and its like he's forgotten how to hold it, he finds it difficult. For a while he was making grunting, wheezing noises while sleeping but usualy if he was curled up.
I'm posting this here because the vet thinks he has an infection of some kind, but thats all the info he could give us. There are people in this community with far more experiance in ratty ailments than I have, does this sound familiar to anyone? I'm really worryed!

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ratties

Subject:	My Ellie (with pictures!)
Posted by:	black7balloon.
Time:	3:54 pm.
Music:	MK Ultra-Muse.

Figured it was about time to introduce my lil' Ellie. (Actually, she's quite large so she's really not that little. ^^;

This's Ellie. My lil' rattie whom I love more than rain or pizza lunchables. (And if you know me, you'd know that's a lot.)
( more pictures and things under here~ )

Comments: Read 9 or Add Your Own.

ratties

Subject:	Extremely wordy post, sorry. Advice?
Posted by:	st0mpyb00ts.
Time:	5:43 pm.
Mood:	crushed.

Hello, everyone, my name is Rei. I'm new and I wish I could be introducing myself and my ratties under happier circumstances.

( Meet Milk and Germaine )

( The story )

ETA: I left this as a comment below, but thought it'd make sense to put it here, too. Since so far everyone has suggested neutering.
I thought about neutering, but I don't think I could afford it. Any idea as to how much that might cost? I really don't have much money.
Also, I don't think it would be a good idea to do that right before I go away on vacation, and if I did it after, what would I do about them until I get back?

Comments: Read 16 or Add Your Own.

ratties

Subject:	Help? :)
Posted by:	apostolicity.
Time:	12:44 pm.

Hello there, ratties!

I've got a pair of rats that I noticed had caught some form of mite/lice, and I've been shampooing and treating them regularly without the help of ivermectin or anything like that. My vet doesn't want to give them to me without seeing the ratties first, which is a whole other story and I'd rather see her as a last resort. Willing, but only slightly so.

Anyway, I'm pretty confident that I've rid my babies mostly of their mites, if not completely, HOWEVER... one of my dark haired rats, Squish, has these white dandruff-like strands on his fur, which I figure could be some kind of mite/lice egg? Ive waited a while and nothing seems to have changed about the white strands, no hatching or anything, so I was wondering if maybe it's something else.

If it makes any difference, Squish is an oold bugger. He's outlived most of his cagemates and is now dragging himself around, grunting like an old man, you know. Fat old rat stuff. Could he just have a skin problem from my bathing him so often? Does anyone happen to have any pictures of what the eggs look like on fur for me to verify? Advice?

I'm not really worried either way. Their skin has cleared up TREMENDOUSLY and they both seem so much more comfortable... albeit angry at me for putting them near soap and water time and time again.

Also, I know mites and lice are pretty species specific, but I've got a separately caged multimammate mouse/natal rat, and I was just wondering if he was safe from them.

( some pictures of the boys for fun :) )

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ratties

Subject:	Rat "implants"?
Posted by:	lucyskydiamonds.
Time:	2:46 pm.

I just came back from a vet consult for my hairless girl Schmutzhaken, and the vet had some interesting new ideas for dealing with mammary tumors. I haven't agreed to anything yet, but I was wondering if anyone here has heard of this treatment idea.

Basically the vet suggested we could go the usual route of removing the lump, or removing the lump & spaying Schmutz at the same time. This was expected. My vet had a different idea this time - and this is a relatively "new" vet, having finished veterinary school about a year ago. He said that he has experience with implants in rats and ferrets that essentially shutdown their reproductive system and stop them from producing estrogen. He'd essentially insert a small implant in the back of her neck near the pituitary gland that would stop her hormones for at least a year. Her current tumor wouldn't shrink but it wouldn't get any bigger (it's not very big right now) and it would prevent new ones from forming. It's a lot less invasive then the surgeries - no stitches, just a bit of skin glue, and she'd be home the same day. She wouldn't even have to be separated from the other rats, cause there wouldn't be stitches. He told me that his case study rat had this procedure done at 18 months and lived till about 3 years of age, eventually dying of old age.

I'm very tempted to have Schmutz undergo this procedure instead of the lump removal or lump removal + spaying - it's a lot less invasive on the rat, and a lot less invasive on my wallet as well. Now the vet told me there hasn't been too many peer reviewed studies, and I'm really not finding anything online either. Did anyone have this done to their rats before, or has anyone had a vet recommend this instead?

Schmutz is between 1.5 and 2 years of age, but we're really unsure of her true age as she's a rescue. Part of my hesitation to go through the whole operation comes from Mulder - she had a terrible urinary tract infection immediately after her lump removal, and she was on the brink of death for a few days. It was really rough on us.

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ratties

Posted by:	kaptnjack.
Time:	1:55 am.

Scary moment tonight...

My rats live on fleece blankets, because keeping them on litter gives me allergic reactions. Some of the blankets needed washing, so i took them out and replaced them with different blankets... one of those being the kind of blanket that is sewn onto itself in places, forming tubes in it, like this || || ||. I don't know if that makes sense, but it's the best I can describe.

Well, Po must have chewed or found a hole in the blanket. She somehow got inside one of these tubes, and squeezed herself all the way to the end of it. It was too tight a fit for her to be able to turn back or open her mouth enough to chew her way out and she was stuck. I was alerted to this when I started hearing panic wheezing and whimpers, and saw her squished in there.

I had to cut her out with a pair of scissors, starting around her head, while she was wriggling and panicking and trying to force her way out. She was so scared, I hate to think what would have happened if she'd been stuck there all night. I managed to get her out without cutting her.

I gave them back their fleece blanket even though they are dirty, because I don't want to risk anyone getting stuck again. I wanted to post this to warn people against using blankets that rats can chew and get inside, especially if it has tubes they can get stuck in.

Po is fine now and sleeping on my pillow<3

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